AMARILLO, Texas, (christiansunite.com) -- When Tracie and Steve Patterson are given the news that they are going to be parents for the first time, they are overjoyed. But when the heartbeat of their unborn son, Braden, begins to slow during labor, their world comes to a standstill. "Thirteen Months With an Angel" (published by iUniverse) by Steve Patterson, follows the journey of two parents, the trials they face as parents of a severely brain damaged son and how their unwavering faith helped see them through.

Braden spends 17 minutes without breathing or a heartbeat, but somehow he survived. After the miracle of their baby's survival, Tracie and Steve were left to cope with having a severely brain-damaged baby prone to seizures and in need of regular checkups and 24 hour supervision. There in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with monitors, tubes and wires connected to Braden, Steve held his son's tiny hand and sang a special medley of his favorite children's songs. Steve would come to sing those songs routinely to Braden. It was during these special times Steve felt God was smiling down at him and Tracie as He watched His story of love unfolding for others to see and hear.

Tracie kept a handwritten journal during her time with Braden. Notes from this journal provide the book with the strong presence of a mother's hurting, loving, and compassion heart for her sick child. Tracie's motherly insight into 'Thirteen Months with an Angel' help Tracie accurately convey to others God's love, God's power, and God's strength, which He supplied to the Patterson's on a daily basis.

Steve Patterson was born and raised in Borger, Texas. Patterson began his career as a journeyman pipe welder and now does facility condition assessment work for a government contractor. He lives in Amarillo, Texas with his wife and two daughters. In 2002, Patterson and his wife Tracie founded the Higher Focus Ministries. Higher Focus Ministries is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit ministry that strives to help special needs children and their families. Visit the Higher Focus Ministry site at www.higherfocus.org.